


The False Consensus

by sxrensxng



Series: The House of The Iris Serpents [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Ferdie and Sylvain think they're in love with the same girl, Ferdinand von Aegir Has A Crush, Friends to Lovers, Garland Moon (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Humor, Iris Serpents, Juliette von Augustine - Freeform, Lilac Tiffany Forrissier, Love Confessions, Minor Original Character(s), Miscommunication, Original Character(s), Romantic Comedy, Sylvain Jose Gautier Being An Idiot, Sylvain Jose Gautier Is Actually In Love, Sylvain Jose Gautier is a Mess, The House of the Iris Serpents, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29208435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxrensxng/pseuds/sxrensxng
Summary: Sylvain discovers he's in love with the girl that has slowly become one of his closest friends. Ferdinand realizes that he has feelings for one of his closest allies. The only issue is that the two of them think they're in love with the same girl.(All original characters are part of the Iris Serpent OC group. Juliette belongs to me, and Lilac belongs to @gigiometry.)
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Ferdinand von Aegir/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character & Original Female Character, Sylvain Jose Gautier/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The House of The Iris Serpents [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114700
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4
Collections: The House of The Iris Serpents





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gigiometry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gigiometry/gifts).



> This fic contains A LOT of OCs from the Iris Serpent Group, so I've added a guide in the notes at the end with each character and their creators. Only the featured Iris Serpents are in the guide, but there are more, trust me.
> 
> for context, the Iris Serpents are a house of exchange students at the monastery that my friends and I made up. You don't need too much knowledge of the lore to understand.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy :) Please consider leaving a comment and/or kudos if you enjoy it. It means the world to me.

Sylvain had come to the conclusion that Saturday mornings at the monastery were his favorite. Nothing was quite as enjoyable as waking up to the promise of a morning game of chess. Maybe it wasn’t the chess he was looking forward to so much, at least not anymore. His opponent was what he was  _ really _ anticipating, even if he didn’t want to admit it at first. Because Juliette von Augustine had wormed her way into his heart, and Sylvain wasn’t sure if he ever wanted her to leave.

Sylvain’s Saturday mornings used to be occupied by his trips into town. He’d scope out the dating scene in Garreg Mach, making a mental list of what girls were available and which ones he had already dated before. It disturbed him that he had begun to think of it as a hobby, but he knew that it would annoy his father even more and he relished in that thought. 

This was the case until a month or so ago.

The arrival of the Iris Serpents had been rather unprecedented. Never in Sylvain’s lifetime, or even in his father’s, had an exchange class this large ever attended Garreg Mach. While it might have shocked and thrown-off some other students, it was a welcome surprise to Sylvain. An entirely new division of students had meant more ladies for him to pursue.

Although, the new ladies from Septen posed their own unique challenges. One of them was obviously very young, close to Lysithea’s age, which was enough for Sylvain to omit her from his search. The House Leader herself was rather beautiful, but it became apparent that she wanted very little to do with Sylvain’s philandering. Besides, it was also clear that someone else had already captured Paulina’s heart. Then there were a few others that were rather prickly around the edges, like Alizée or Auryn. And Genevieve seemed spooked by the slightest movement, and  _ especially _ by Sylvain’s flirting. Lilac had been nice about it at first, but it was evident that she wasn’t interested in the slightest. Sylvain’s window for romance with any of the Iris Serpent ladies was dwindling.

However, there was still one more contestant that held promise.

Juliette von Augustine had become the primary target of Sylvain’s flirting, at least at the academy. She was plenty cute to make all the effort worth it, too. Sylvain wouldn’t have exactly said she was gorgeous or sultry by any means, but she was short and sweet and that was enough for him to make a move. In fact, she had been so sweet and polite that she didn’t even have the heart to tell Sylvain to knock it off when it was clear that she was flustered. Her face would flush and then she would laugh, and then she would act as if nothing had happened. Once she had even asked him about the weather immediately after. Sylvain never did seem to get past flirting here and there. Juliette would always brush it off and change the subject. 

Not to mention, the other Serpents had made it  _ very  _ clear how they felt about Sylvain’s advances toward their classmate. Alizée had smacked him upside the head once she caught him preparing to approach Juliette once more. Hayashi had made it clear that he would do much worse if Sylvain made even one misstep. Lina, who Sylvain learned was Juliette’s best friend, had done as much as pull him aside one day and warn him that if he hurt her feelings even in the slightest, then he’d regret it. Although, Felix did find it rather funny.

Sylvain had begun to decrease his flirting with Juliette ever since then. The last thing he wanted was a broken nose and a ban from seeing Juliette altogether. However, no matter how much Sylvain dropped his flirting, he couldn’t seem to keep away from Juliette. She would appear just when he  _ wasn’t  _ looking for her, always with a smile on her face. She would act as if he had never told her how pretty she was and instead extend kindness to Sylvain.

She got wind of how he enjoyed board games and suggested that they play chess sometime, especially since she liked board games as well. Sylvain accepted her invitation and approached his chess appointment with Juliette with much excitement. Although, on his way there he kept one eye open for any stray members of her house.

Unsurprisingly, Juliette was incredibly easy to be around, and even more so when he wasn’t so focused on making her fluster at every opportunity. She was nice and would laugh at most of Sylvain’s jokes. Even the ones that  _ Ashe _ refused to give a pity laugh to. She was also an exceptional storyteller it seemed. As they played their chess game, she would tell him stories of Septen and Lina and her as children. 

The pair of them seemed to be scheduling chess game after chess game each and every Saturday after that. They would tell each other about their week and what each other’s friends had done that was so entertaining--Sylvain’s was usually about Felix’s irritation with him and Juliette’s about how she had caught Lina sneaking off to the stables again. They would laugh, and Sylvain couldn’t remember the last time he had genuinely had so much fun.

It was one day in the Garland Moon that Sylvain had begun to see her differently. It was on the particular day in which lovers and friends would exchange crowns of white roses as a sign of love and affection. Sylvain had been very aware of the white garland tradition. After all, he had been given many from those who admired him. But it was still a shock to him to see Juliette, linked arm in arm with Lina and Lilac, and wearing more than one garland herself.

She had a large garland that sat like a crown atop her head, and she wore another two on her arms. It began to make Sylvain wonder who had given them to her. He knew that Juliette had many friends and these garlands were probably gifts from them, but the notion that Juliette had at least three people publicly vying for her affection made him uneasy. Almost jealous, dare he say it?

Once Juliette caught sight of him standing there and staring at her, she quickly released herself from her friends’ arms and ran up to him with a smile on her face.

_ “I forgot to give this to you earlier.”  _ She had said, pulling one of her garlands off of her arm,  _ “You’re a really special friend to me, and I wanted to show you.” _ She held it out for him to take, but Sylvain was frozen. She looked so happy and  _ beautiful _ as she stood before him, and the thought made his stomach flip.  _ “Although, I suppose you already have plenty, so I understand if you don’t want it.” _ Juliette began to pull the garland away, but Sylvain quickly snatched it from her hands and placed it atop his head, only after moving the other garland that had sat there previously to his arm.

As she beamed at him with her flushed face before walking back towards her friends, Sylvain knew that he was done for. 

Juliette von Augustine had managed to capture his heart, and he wasn’t quite sure how she did it. Because for the first time ever, Sylvain had  _ stopped _ trying to romance someone, and it ended in the opposite of the intended result. Juliette had never been someone that he wanted to flirt with and date on and off for a few weeks, and that was becoming very clear to him now. She had been the first woman in a  _ very _ long time that he had felt anything genuine feelings for, and he refused to let his own stupidity ruin that.

This Saturday was like any other: he was to meet Juliette in the courtyard for their game of chess. However, ever since his recent revelation, he couldn’t seem to think straight. Every time he would try to focus, Juliette would reappear with that white garland on her head and a smile on her face. As lovely as she was to be around, Sylvain was beginning to get concerned with himself. Sylvain had even gone as far as to zone out while the Blue Lions were on a mission. If he hadn’t snapped out of it so quickly, he would’ve returned to the monastery as multiple pieces in a wooden box. 

But what was he to do? Being in love with one of your closest friends isn’t exactly an issue one can solve overnight. Especially when the object of your affection’s entire class is breathing down your neck. Sylvain doubted the Iris Serpents would even give him a moment alone with Juliette in a location that was even  _ slightly _ romantic. Not to mention, he wasn’t quite sure how this would affect their friendship overall. The  _ last  _ thing he wanted to do would be to lose Juliette. He had come to care for their chess games and letter writing, and letting go of those was something far from being a part of the plan.

Who would know how to solve this whole ordeal? Felix would make fun of him surely--he had already guessed that Sylvain was in love with Juliette long before Sylvain knew himself. Dimitri was never well versed in these typed of things, and Ingrid would chastise him for trying to win the heart of another innocent woman.

Of course, Juliette would have an excellent answer for this kind of thing. She had always given the best advice, even if she couldn’t take it herself. 

So maybe he couldn’t ask Juliette what to do, but she would surely know someone who could.

“Sylvain, you don’t seem quite yourself today. Are you feeling alright?” Juliette asked, leaning forward slightly. 

Of course, Juliette would be able to tell that his mind was somewhere else. She had always been good at reading him, so good it almost annoyed him when they first met.

“I just have something on my mind, that’s all.” Sylvain didn’t dare meet her eyes as he quietly moved his rook along the board.

Juliette crossed her arms on the table and laid her head down on top of them. Now having the perfect angle of Sylvain, she titled her head to the side. “We can always talk about it if you want.”

Sylvain sighed and rested his own chin on the edge of the table, his brown eyes directly even with Juliette’s purple ones.  _ “I’m not sure I’m ready to.” _

Juliette gave a kind smile and nodded. “That’s okay too! I’m always here when you’re ready. Is there anything I can do to help?” Sylvain would’ve normally gladly taken any help that she offered, but he  _ clearly _ couldn’t do that now.

“Is there anyone you know that’s good with advice?” Sylvain looked away for a moment. “Preferably not from your class, that is.”

Juliette gave a small laugh and sat up. “Normally I ask Lina for advice, but I’ve found that Ferdinand is particularly gifted when it comes to hidden wisdom. Maybe you can ask him?”

Sylvain sat up and leaned back in his chair as he gave his own laugh. “ _ Ferdinand? _ I didn’t know there was much going on behind his eyes.”

Juliette shook her head. “You’d be surprised! He has quite a way with words. It seems he always knows what to say whenever I need help.”

Sylvain sighed. “Alright, I guess I can ask him for advice.” 

Juliette nodded excitedly before moving a chess piece of her own. “Let me know how it goes!”

“Trust me, I will.”


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvain approaches Ferdinand for advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same notes from the last chapter. 
> 
> More Ferdinand and Lilac woohoo! Also, these boys are messes.
> 
> Hope you enjoy and have fun reading!

Ferdinand von Aegir was awful at reading signals. That much everyone knew about him. Not just his fellow Officers Academy students, but the church staff as well. He could easily tell when an opponent was approaching him and what the weather felt like, but navigating the emotions of his peers was entirely different. He had upset Berndetta several times by accident with his good intentions, as well as several other classmates. He had apologized of course, and they had forgiven him, but Ferdinand couldn’t help but feel like he was  _ missing _ something. 

He was  _ always _ missing something. A joke would go completely over his head, or maybe he would miss the hint to keep quiet. It was embarrassing-- only when he put two and two together that was. However, recently someone had entered his life that made him feel  _ seen. _

Lilac Forrissier had appeared like a much-needed rain during a year-long drought. She had arrived with the rest of the Iris Serpent exchange students at the beginning of the year, although Ferdinand found her far more memorable than the others. Her dark hair contrasted greatly with her intense purple eyes and she almost always wore a bright smile on her face. In fact, the two had originally bonded over their studies. Ferdinand was very interested in the history of Septen--the land that Lilac and the rest of the Iris Serpents had come from-- and Lilac had eagerly jumped to the task of telling him all about it. 

A most frequent activity for the two of them was meeting to discuss Septenian culture and history. And while Lilac had been exposed to Fodlan and its culture in the past, she still allowed Ferdinand to tell her about his more favorite niche stories.

Lilac Forrissier was unlike any other friend that Ferdinand had. Lilac was easy to talk to and always seemed to understand what Ferdinand had to say. And even when she didn’t, Lilac still let him keep talking. Mutual understanding was all that Ferdinand could ask for in a friendship, and it was just what Lilac had provided.

On Saturdays, when Ferdinand wasn’t conversing with Lilac or having tea with those who were willing, he was polishing his armor on the training grounds. It was of his few hobbies that he could engage in by himself, and often gave him some time alone to think. Although, he would often fill the silence with his own humming or whistling, usually reciting some tune that he had heard from around the monastery that week.

For the most part, he’d be left alone, unless Petra would come to tell him that the Professor required his presence or Felix would practice by himself on the opposite side of the grounds. Yet today, he was left alone with his thoughts.

Ferdinand sunk into the rhythm of cleaning the dirt and grime off of his armor and then polishing it further. The occasional bird could be heard chirping as they sat on top of the eaves, but other than that, it was completely silent other than Ferdinand’s hymn humming.

Rather, it  _ was _ completely silent until the doors to the training grounds burst wide open. Ferdinand looked up from his handiwork suddenly, only to be met with the perpetrator.

Sylvain Gautier stood at the entrance, his eyes already fastened on Ferdinand.

Sylvain was an odd bird, or at least Ferdinand would’ve said so. Sylvain was bold and flirtatious, someone who Ferdinand might’ve even described as gaudy. He was from the Blue Lions house, so the two of them hadn’t interacted often. However, Ferdinand had avoided making any brash judgments before the two of them got a chance to talk over tea. Ferdinand would not have considered Sylvain a friend by any means, but he would settle at fond acquaintance.

“Sylvain, may I assist you?” Ferdinand set his chest plate down onto the ground and quickly stood up from his place on the ground.

“Actually, you just might be able to.” Sylvain smiled at Ferdinand and gave a nervous laugh. Ferdinand didn’t miss him rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet either. 

Ferdinand dusted off his hands and placed his handkerchief in his back pocket. “I am always prepared to help a fellow noble.” Sylvain nodded.

“That’s as much as Juliette said when she recommended that I come to talk to you.” 

“Juliette?” Ferdinand couldn’t help but be surprised at the mention of her name.

Juliette von Augustine was another one of the Iris Serpents that Ferdinand considered his friends. Of course, not as much so as Lilac, but Juliette was exceptionally kind to most everyone she met and always took Ferdinand up on his invitations to tea. They mostly engaged in conversations about nobility and the duties that followed. Juliette did always seem interested in Ferdinand’s thoughts on duty. The short girl was definitely someone who Ferdinand could call a friend. It was a surprise to Ferdinand however, to hear her name from Sylvain’s mouth. Ferdinand had seen them speaking before but it had never occurred to him that their conversations would ever be anything more than Sylvain’s usual flirtation.

Sylvain shrugged and glanced down at his boots. “Yeah, she actually said that you gave pretty good advice.”

Ferdinand scratched the back of his head as his brows shot up in surprise. He had never taken it into consideration that he and Juliette’s conversations were  _ advice _ , he had always thought that they were more so intellectual discussions. Although, he would not overlook the compliment. “Did she now?”

Sylvain nodded. 

“I would be honored to give you some advice, Sylvain.” Ferdinand had now stepped away from his armor completely and towards Sylvain. “I can’t say it will be any good, but if Juliette trusts me to provide it for you, then I will try!”

Sylvain fastened his hands behind his head as he often did while he spoke. “Well, this is the first time in a while I’ve been stumped when it comes to a girl.”

Ferdinand tensed. “If this is pertaining to one of your flirtatious escapades then I--”

“It’s nothing like that at all actually.” Sylvain’s tall posture slouched and he let his hands hang down at his side. “I’ll be honest with you.”

Ferdinand softened at the notion. Sylvain was not one to let down his defenses so easily, let alone be honest with someone who he wasn’t sure was his friend just yet. It was startling, yet refreshing. His behavior a lot made it clear that this meant a lot to Sylvain.

“She’s different. Or the way I feel about her is different at least. I haven’t flirted with her ever since I started to think it bothered her. She’s just so, how do I say this?” Sylvain trailed off and raked a hand through his hair.

“Goddess, Ferdinand. She’s great.” Sylvain laughed. “She’s smart and kind. She always makes sure everyone’s doing okay, and she has the brightest smile I’ve ever seen, and I--”

Sylvain ran a hand down his face which had begun to flush.

“You really do love her.” Ferdinand offered, a small smile creeping up his own face. It was nice to see Sylvain so genuine.

“Yeah,” Sylvain looked up, “I think I really do.”

“How about you tell me more about her?” Ferdinand said.

Sylvain didn’t waste a second before diving into telling Ferdinand more about the woman of his affections. “She’s always so kind to everyone, and always knows what to say.  _ Not to mention, she has the prettiest purple eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. _ ”

Ferdinand’s mind wandered to Lilac for a moment. She had the prettiest eyes that Ferdinand had ever seen as well. Now that he thought about it, Lilac’s eyes  _ were also purple _ . Ferdinand paused.

Smart and kind? Those both described Lilac excellently. She did always help Ferdinand when he needed it and she knew lots of information about Septen. In fact, those were two adjectives that he’d use to describe Lilac himself.

The more that Ferdinand thought about it, Lilac and the girl of Sylvain’s affections had  _ a lot _ in common. Lilac always checked on Ferdinand to see if he was okay, and her smile that she’d offer him during choir practice was quite probably Ferdinand’s favorite thing in the entire world.

And the thought that the two girls might very well be the same person did not sit well with Ferdinand. He wasn’t quite sure what it was, but he felt uneasy all of a sudden. Almost angry? Or was it something else?

More so, the idea that  _ Sylvain  _ of all people was infatuated with Lilac ruffled his feathers even further. Sure, Sylvain seemed very serious about how he felt about this girl--Lilac--but Ferdinand did not like the thought of Lilac being romanced by some philanderer such as Sylvain.

Maybe it wasn’t  _ because _ it was Sylvain, but  _ because it wasn’t himself _ .

“So what do you recommend I do?” Sylvain asked, breaking Ferdinand from his thoughts. “Ferdinand?”

Ferdinand did not notice that he had balled his hands into fists. “I’m afraid I cannot give you any advice, Sylvain.”

“Huh?” Sylvain cocked his head to the side, and Ferdinand could slowly see him piecing back together with the pieces of his facade. 

“The woman you speak of. I cannot give you advice, nor can I allow you to romance her because I am in love with her.”

Sylvain faltered. “You  _ what? _ ”

“You heard me correctly.” Ferdinand nodded, his face beginning to redden. “I cannot allow you to make advances on her, because I feel so deeply for her.”

Sylvain’s posture straightened again and his brow furrowed. He stared at Ferdinand for a moment, and Ferdinand was very unsure of what he was going to do next. He did not want to be on the receiving end of Sylvain’s lance attacks, let alone the dark magic that he had a rumored talent for. 

  
“ _ If you want her so bad, you’ll have to beat me to it _ .”


	3. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliette is conflicted with how she feels about Sylvain. Lilac doesn't know what to do when it comes to her own feelings for Ferdinand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A break from the testosterone of Ferdie and Sylvain. Heads up, not my best. No beta, we die like Glenn.

Juliette von Augustine wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself. As much as she hated to admit it, she was very much suffering from a massive crush on Sylvain Jose Gautier. “ _ Hated”  _ wasn’t the right word at all, actually. It was more so “ _ was embarrassed by”.  _ To fall in love with one of your closest friends was not only difficult to navigate, but  _ extremely embarrassing _ . 

It was particularly embarrassing because Sylvain was probably the last person anyone should ever fall in love with. He was notorious for his flirtation and philandering. In fact, that was how he had initially introduced himself to Juliette. It seemed that wherever the redhead was to go, his shallow romance was to follow. He was a poor target to fall in love with, however, because his target of affections was always someone different each week, coming and going with the changing of the winds. Not only was he never  _ really _ in love with anyone, but he never did save even his fake romance for Juliette. Although it would be shallow and meaningless, Juliette did acknowledge that the attention might be nice.

None of this wasn’t helped by the fact that Juliette swore her entire class had an aversion to Sylvain. They might’ve thought she had missed it, but Juliette saw it all. She had caught Lina telling him to watch his step, and she could never miss Hayashi’s blatant threats of violence towards Sylvain. Juliette was sure that her entire class disliked Sylvain, and that alone made her heart sink. The idea that her classmates couldn’t stand one of her closest friends made Juliette nauseous. What was she to do if they didn’t get along? Or if she started to neglect one for the other?

Recently, Juliette’s interest in Sylvain had become almost too much for her to handle. He always seemed to come to mind, even when the matter at hand had nothing to do with him. Juliette would think fondly of how she should write Sylvain another letter while talking with Lina, or how maybe she could invite him to come with her as she picked this week’s wildflowers. He seemed to leech his way into every waking moment of Juliette’s life, and at this point, she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it.

It was no longer a minor occurrence, but a frequent one. Juliette swore that she would flush at every joke Sylvain made during their weekly chess games and tried ever so desperately to hide it. No matter how much she said she would never allow it to happen, it did. Because Juliette von Augustine was in love with the boy that had already taken many hearts. And she was angry with herself for it.

Sylvain had seemed odd this morning, something had clearly been bothering him. Something that he couldn’t share with her. Juliette was initially hurt at the thought that he wouldn’t share it with her, but she knew how these things were. Sometimes secrets didn’t need to be shared, and when they did, they would need to be with the right person. Although, Sylvain had always shared many of his secrets with Juliette. Nevertheless, Juliette knew that he would tell her eventually. He always did. So she would wait patiently for him to tell her when the time was right.

In order to get her mind off of the way Sylvain had been acting, Juliette decided to spend some time with her other friends. Specifically, she invited Lilac to join her to press flowers. It was more a hobby that Juliette enjoyed, but Lilac had always had a knack for crafts of any nature. Plus, it was a good opportunity for the two of them to get to know each other better. The two had quite a bit in common with each other, so it was only natural that they got along well.

Juliette had already picked flowers that morning after Sylvain had run off so quickly, so she had gotten fast to work pressing them as soon as Lilac had arrived at her dorm. Lilac had taken a seat on Juliette’s bed, placing her own blooms into the pages of some old worn textbooks. Juliette had gathered quite a few, all ranging in size and color, and she realized that it would take a week or two for them to be dried out completely. Lilac had begun making idle conversation about their class and training the past week, as well as what the professor had told her was on this week’s agenda. However, as Juliette tried to listen to what Lilac had to say, she found herself thinking about Sylvain. She was rather disappointed in herself. This entire get-together with Lilac was meant to keep her from thinking about Sylvain, after all.

“Juliette, do you feel okay? You don’t seem all like yourself.” Lilac prompted. She was rather correct about Juliette looking unwell. Her gaze had seemed to dull and her movement more sluggish. Juliette was always very methodical in almost everything she did. 

Juliette looked up quickly, suddenly snapped out of her gaze. “Oh.” She knew it wasn’t any good to lie. It wasn’t something she was particularly gifted in any way. “Well, something has been bothering me all morning.”

Lilac set the flowers in her hands off to the side and stood up to walk closer to Juliette. “You can always talk to me, Juliette. You know that.”

Juliette huffed. “You’re right.” She looked at Lilac for a moment before looking down at her hands. “It’s nothing too serious.” Her voice dropped down to a whisper. “It’s just that I think I’m in love and I can’t stop thinking about him.”

Lilac paused. Juliette had a crush on someone? It wasn’t entirely out of left field. Juliette was nice to everyone she met and she was rather charming--even if she didn’t like to admit it. With her being at least acquaintances with almost everyone at the monastery, it wasn’t completely out of the question for her to have met someone she admired.

“Why don’t you tell me about him?” Perhaps sharing how she felt about him would help Juliette ease her mind. 

“I guess I can try.” Juliette straightened where she sat and turned around to face Lilac. “He’s really funny, and I don’t think he’s trying.” Lilac nodded.

“We spend a lot of time together, almost as much time as I spend with Lina. He tells me lots of stuff about himself and we have deep conversations. Deep for him, at least.” Juliette had begun to smile.

“Is he cute?” Lilac prosed, her own mischievous smile creeping up on her face.

Juliette flushed and hid her face in her hands. She looked up momentarily with her red face and nodded. 

“Yeah, he is.” Juliette mumbled, “He’s tall, and strong too. He has really nice eyes and red hair-” She froze, her eyes widening. “ _ I shouldn’t have said that _ .”

Lilac started to laugh, but after a few moments, something clicked.

Tall and strong. Funny, even when he doesn’t mean it. Shares deep conversations and spends time with Juliette often.  _ Redheaded _ .

It almost described Ferdinand to a tee. Lilac’s closest friend, that she most definitely had feelings for. It made sense that Juliette didn’t want to share that the object of her affections had red hair. She didn’t want Lilac to know that she had feelings for Ferdinand, because she knew that the two of them were so close.

Lilac swallowed. “Er-Pardon me, Juliette. I just remembered something I need to take care of.” Lilac quickly made her way to Juliette’s door. “I hope everything turns out okay.” She left just as quickly as she came, shutting the door behind her.

Juliette sat in her chair, staring at the door for a few more moments, trying to process what had just happened. Had she said something to upset Lilac? All she had done was describe Sylvain.

_ Oh. _


	4. Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvain decides to tell Juliette how he feels.

Sylvain hadn’t stopped running since he left the training hall. How was it possible that  _ Ferdinand _ of all people was in love with Juliette? Of course, it all made sense that he would find her appealing. She was always a magnetic person, charming and kind in nearly every circumstance. Plus, the way that they both spoke of each other made it seem like they hung out almost as frequently as Sylvain and Juliette did. That thought alone made Sylvain even angrier than he already was, tightening his fists even further. 

In fact, the thought of Juliette having deep conversations with Ferdinand over tea was enough to make Sylvain want to punch Ferdinand in his stupid noble face. How had he been so stupid as to miss it in the first place?

Sylvain’s current target in question was his ever-reliable classmates. They always had something to say about his romantic endeavors. They might have been negative most of the time, but it was still useful commentary for difficult situations like this. Ingrid would surely have a fit, but the others would at least  _ try _ to be supportive. Maybe for once, he would listen to their romantic advice. That way he’d at least stand somewhat of a chance against “Mr. high and pious” Ferdinand.

He took a sharp right into the Blue Lions classroom and was relieved to find all his classmates already there. Annette and Mercedes were off to the side, having a conversation on their own. Dimitri and Ingrid were standing over some battle plans at the professor’s desk, while Dedue and Ashe studied a book at another table. Felix, as always, was polishing his blade alone.

As soon as Sylvain skidded to a harsh stop in the doorway, all of the Blue Lions looked up at him. 

“Hiding again are we, Sylvain?” Ingrid asked, crossing her arms.

Sylvain shook his head. “No, not this time.” He ran a hand down his face. “I have an emergency.”

“An emergency?” Shouted Annette from the other side of the room, quickly running to provide aid if needed. “Are you hurt?”

“No. I’m fine! I just,” He scratched his head, momentarily glancing at his friends. They all stared expectantly at Sylvain, waiting for him to say something. “I think I’m actually in love with someone.”

The room burst into a variety of noises, although the most noticeable was Ingrid’s distinct sign, which was shortly followed by her head falling onto the table.

“No, don’t worry!” He urged them, “It’s Juliette!” Sylvain nervously laughed.

“I could’ve told you as much.” Felix scoffed. Sylvain spared a glare in the direction of his best friend.

Dimitri’s shoulders fell. “Sylvain, please tell me you didn’t actually--”

Ingrid looked up with wide eyes. “That’s even more of a reason to worry! Her entire class will have your head!” 

Sylvain held his hands out in front of him defensively. “I know they will. In fact, I wasn’t planning on saying anything, to you guys or to her. I wasn’t going to do anything at all for that matter, but then something came up.” He sighed and rested his hands on his hips. “Ferdinand also has feelings for her, and I’m not planning on giving up that easily.”

Everyone slightly softened, waiting for Sylvain to say something more.

“I wouldn’t ask you guys to help with this kind of stuff if it wasn’t important to me. I know I’ve said stuff before about other girls, but  _ I promise _ this isn’t just another one of my escapades.”

The Blue Lions all glanced at each other for a moment. It was Annette who stepped forward first.

“If this means a lot to you, Sylvain, then I’ll do what I can.” She nodded.

“If Annie’s going to help you, then I will too.” Mercedes said as she stepped up behind Annette.

Dimitri gave a sigh. “Alright, but please don’t expect me to get you out of trouble with Lady Paulina.” 

Sylvain nodded excitedly, “Oh, I’d never, Your Highness.”

Dedue stepped forward and gave a nod. “If His Highness helps you, then so will I.” 

Ashe wasn’t far behind. “Juliette is a friend of mine as well, and I’ll do what I can to make the two of you happy.” He smiled.

“Okay, I have an idea, but I’ll need some help.” Sylvain led in. “Ashe, Dedue, Annette, and Mercedes, if you four can get some flowers from the greenhouse, that’d be great. Meet me at the fishing pond in thirty minutes.” He ordered, almost with the precision of a general. The four left the room quickly, one after the other to do as Sylvain had said.

Dimitri, Ingrid, and Felix all meandered to the front of the classroom to face Sylvain. “You really care about her, don’t you?” Ingrid asked.

Sylvain nodded. “I do.” 

Ingrid exhaled deeply before giving him a small smile. “Then that’s good enough for me.”

All four of them went to exit the classroom, only pausing when Dimitri asked a question. “You only just now realized your feelings for Juliette, correct?”

“What do you mean?”

“I called it three months ago,” Felix smirked.

* * *

  
  


Sylvain continued to run after meeting up with friends--rallying the troops might’ve been a better word. He had made a pit stop at his dormitory to freshen up, taking Dimitri with him, while he had sent Ingrid and Felix to stall Juliette. Initially, he had said to “stop Ferdinand at any cost”, but Ingrid didn’t take to that too well. 

Once he had finally made it to the fishing pond, he was met with a rather eye-catching sight. It seemed that the entire monastery had decided to gather here today. It wasn’t out of the question that many students would spend their free time here, but for  _ this many _ to be here at once made Sylvain feel uneasy. Almost like something was about to go terribly wrong.

He could point out several faces in the crowd, including all of his Blue Lions classmates. Many of them were Juliette’s classmates, which did not quell the nervous feeling that had begun to accumulate. Sylvain had caught the gaze of Ashe, who was holding a fistful of flowers. Ashe began to shake his head at Sylvain, who also saw that Ingrid and Annette were doing the same.

“ _ What? _ ” Sylvain mouthed.

He quickly looked around him, although this time he was paying far more attention to the details. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. There were several students from the other houses chatting, others fishing, Ferdinand too.

Sylvain stopped. Ferdinand?

Ferdinand von Aegir was talking directly to Juliette von Augustine off in the corner of the crowd and Sylvain saw red. Ferdinand was slouching slightly, leaning forward as he whispered. Ferdinand wrung his gloved hands nervously as he spoke. Sylvain watched Juliette listen intently before she clapped her hands excitedly and smiled up at Ferdinand.

Something snapped inside of Sylvain. He stared at the pair as they continued talking. He felt Ingrid grab onto his shoulder.

“Maybe we should head back to the classroom--”

_ No. _ Sylvain refused to accept defeat this easily. He hadn’t made it this far to give up the one girl he was truly in love with. He shrugged Ingrid’s hand off and began marching towards Ferdinand.

“You! Don’t say another word!” Sylvain spat. “You think that you can just sweep her off her feet so easily?”

Ferdinand flustered. “Sylvain, I’m afraid you’re mistaken!”

Sylvain shook his head. “Don’t even try it! I haven’t been trying to think of how to tell Juliette I love her for the past two weeks just for you to do the same in the afternoon!” Juliette flushed and hid behind her hands. 

“Sylvain,” Juliette started, “I-”

Sylvain looked at her but didn’t wait for her to finish her sentence. “Juliette, I know I don’t have the best track record. But believe me, I’ve thought long and hard about this. I love everything about you. The way you smile and the way you tell stories, and how kind you are. I-” Sylvain paused, “I love you.”

Juliette lowered her hands and looked at Sylvain with her mouth slightly agape. 

“And I refuse to stand by and let Ferdinand try to romance you when I care about you so much.”

A moment hadn’t even passed after Sylvain’s spiel before he threw a punch directly at Ferdinand’s jaw. 

Ferdinand stumbled back and clutched his jaw, but he wasn’t even given a chance to explain himself before Sylvain tackled him and continued to fight. When Sylvain had refused to relent, Ferdinand finally allowed himself to fight back, delivering his own punch to Sylvain’s eye socket. Once Sylvain paused to process the pain from the punch, Ferdinand grabbed his fists in his own hands and strained to hold him still. 

Juliette herself was quite unsure of what to do. The crowd had begun to look on, but she couldn’t do much. She wasn’t much of a physical fighter anyway. Juliette’s main specialty was ranged magic, and it wasn’t like she could just Cutting Gale her two friends. 

“Sylvain! Please just let him go!” She said.

Ferdinand had been holding Sylvain in place for a while, but Juliette wasn’t exactly sure how much longer he could do it. Even though she had seen Sylvain angry before, it was nothing like this before. She wasn’t even sure if it was anger. Maybe a jealous rage based on what he said.

Sylvain had begun to push down on Ferdinand, even when his fists had yet to be released. Sylvain seethed through his teeth “I’m gonna make you regret--”

His speech was interrupted by Felix, who quickly hit him upside the head with the wooden training sword he always carried on him. Sylvain slumped over quickly, clearly now unconscious. 

“Sylvain’s always been stupid when it comes to girls,” Felix turned to Juliette, “ _But this is the dumbest thing he’s done by far_.”


	5. Part Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta we die like Glenn.

When Ferdinand came to, he was staring at the ceiling of what he believed to be the infirmary. He hadn’t seen it many times in his time at the monastery. He had never really had any major injuries that  _ needed _ to be seen by Manuela. Ferdinand has always been very careful on the battlefield. If he was to be injured, it would’ve been very minor, nothing that Linhardt couldn’t fix quickly.

So to be in the infirmary on what he remembered to be a Saturday where there were no scheduled missions was odd, to say the least. He tried to remember the circumstances for his being here. He had been talking to Juliette by the fishing pond about how to confess to Lilac. All of a sudden Sylvain had marched up to the pair of them. 

_ Oh Goddess, Sylvain! _

Sylvain was what had happened. The Blue Lion cavalier had decked him right in the face and tackled him to the pavement before Ferdinand could even get a sentence out. He knew he had gotten hit several times but he didn’t think it was enough to knock him out. Maybe someone else other than Sylvain had gotten the pleasure of sending Ferdinand to the dreamscape.

After Ferdinand’s eyes had adjusted to the light he slowly sat up to look around the room. Maybe Manuela could do the honors of telling him all that he had broken. 

“His Grace awakens!” A voice chimed from the right of Ferdinand’s bed. He turned his head to see Lilac seated next to him. She bore a smile on her face, although it was clear that she was masking some kind of concern.

“Do you know what happened? I am not quite sure how I ended up here.” Ferdinand said as he slowly sat up against the headboard of the bed. 

Lilac gave a small laugh. “Juliette told me everything.”

Ferdinand’s eyes widened. “Juliette? Is she alright? What all did she tell you exactly?” Ferdinand spewed out the abundance of questions before shutting up quickly.

“She told me that Sylvain had decided to fight you because he thought you also had feelings for her.” Lilac scratched the back of her neck. “I’ll be honest I thought that she was also in love with you after something she told me this morning. But after seeing how she reacted after Felix knocked Sylvain into next week, it’s clear to me that she was talking about a different redhead with pretty eyes.”

Ferdinand swallowed. “You think I have nice eyes?” He whispered.

Lilac froze, a slight panic in her eyes. “Well, I’m sure I’ve told you before, but yes.”

Ferdinand stared at Lilac for a moment, and the air was silent. 

“Look, Ferdinand,” Lilac shifted in her seat, and scooted towards the edge, “I can’t say I wasn’t feeling the same as Sylvain was whenever I thought she had feelings for you too.” Lilac refused to look Ferdinand in the eyes.

“It made me,” she paused, “jealous to say the least. And while I would never hurt Juliette, I wouldn’t let you go that easily.” She chuckled to herself nervously. 

Ferdinand swallowed. “That’s good--” Ferdinand’s voice cracked, “That’s good to hear. I have been meaning to tell you that I greatly value your company Lilac and that I admire you very much. I am ashamed to say I didn’t realize it sooner.” He looked down at his hands.

Lilac smiled and inched closer. “Does that mean I can kiss you?” She laughed. Ferdinand flushed, before nodding slowly.

Lilac leaned forward and pushed her lips against Ferdinand’s. After a moment, she paused and pulled back slightly, their noses still brushing against one another.

“Don’t worry, Your Grace. Even with your  battle scars , you’re still as noble as ever.”

* * *

  
  


Sylvain had woken up with the worst migraine he’d had in a long time. Goddess, why did his head hurt so bad? And why did he have a wad of cotton help up to his nose? He blinked the sleep out of his eyes before trying to look around some more.

At first glance, he was in his room. Everything was exactly where he remembered leaving it, including his arithmetic textbook which sat on the edge of his desk.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” A sweet voice asked him.

Sylvain slowly sat up, holding one hand to his head. “I’ve been better.” 

He looked up at the voice to see Juliette, the fringe of her hair now pulled back out of her face. She had shed her monastery uniform jacket and rolled up her sleeves as she worked. In fact, Juliette had apparently been holding the cloth to Sylvain’s nose the entire time. She slowly pulled it back and looked down at it. 

“I think you’ve stopped bleeding for now,” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke. “Despite being on the defense, Ferdinand got you pretty good.” She smiled at Sylvain.

“You’re not wrong about that.” Sylvain mumbled, much to his chagrin. “Is he at least in the infirmary?” He looked out of his peripherals at Juliette.

Juliette gasped. “Sylvain, don’t talk like that!” She paused, “but yes, yes he is.” Sylvain gave a laugh, to which Juliette playfully swatted his shoulder. “His entire face was pretty bruised, and his wrist was sprained. They thought for a little bit that you had broken his nose.”

“And me?” Sylvain asked, slowly sitting up to be level with Juliette.

“You didn’t do too bad yourself. Bloody nose and a black eye as far as I can tell. Your knees and arms are skinned pretty badly from when you tackled Ferdinand to the ground. Your knuckles are actually pretty busted too.” As she spoke she grabbed Sylvain’s hand to examine it, and he couldn’t say that he was all too mad at her needing to look at them. “The worst of it all was actually from when Felix knocked you out.” She laughed. Sylvain used his free hand to feel around his head, only to be met with the feeling of a  _ massive _ bump under a layer of bandages.

Juliette spoke as she worked, carefully cleaning Sylvain’s bloody knuckles before wrapping them in cloth. “Why I can’t say I’m not honored that you would fight all of Fodlan for me, I had hoped that you would be a little kinder to Ferdinand. I know I’m not aware of everything that happened, but I thought that maybe you might tell me something was wrong first.” She tied off the bandage carefully.

Sylvain sighed and looked away from Juliette. Normally he would gladly take this as an opportunity to count every freckle on her face, but with what she had just said he couldn’t look her in the eyes. “You’re right.” He looked up at her, “I should’ve told you. But, when I thought that you had returned his feelings at the fishing pond, I got  _ angry _ . I had only just put two and two together that I really did care for you, and the thought of you being so close only to be pulled completely out of reach made me sick.”

Juliette had tied off the bandage on his hand but refused to let go of it. “So you meant what you said?”

“Every word.” Sylvain nodded. 

The two stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what came next. Sylvain suddenly felt very nervous, and he was sure that this was the most nervous he had ever felt in front of a girl before. Juliette leaned closer and brushed the hair on Sylvain’s forehead back, before planting a soft kiss on his forehead.

“You never needed to worry about Ferdinand to begin with. I was already yours a long time ago.” She whispered before she pulled back, her face clearly flushed. Sylvain sucked in a breath of air quickly before leaning in to hug Juliette around the middle. He rested his head in the crook of her neck, all while never letting go of her hand.

“I suppose I had the wrong idea all along didn’t I?” He mumbled.

Juliette hummed, leaning into the hug.

Things had taken a detour from the direction that Juliette had originally thought they would take, but she couldn’t say that she was mad with this outcome either. Sylvain might’ve embarrassed himself at the fishing pond, but he had made it clear that Juliette meant the world to him. And that was more than she could ever ask for.

_ “You do know that Ferdinand had feelings for Lilac, right? _

_ “I’d still do it again.” _

**Author's Note:**

> Iris Serpent OC Guide:
> 
> Juliette - @sxrensxng  
> Lilac - @gigiometry  
> Lina - Lina (no AO3)  
> Alizée - Ingrid (no AO3)  
> Hayashi - Lime (no AO3)  
> Auryn - @E_J_Hawthorne  
> Genevieve - Macy (no AO3)
> 
> There more Iris Serpents, but they have yet to make their appearance.


End file.
